A smokescreen to distract from PNCR’s history of election rigging

Dear Editor,
The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) continues to push a narrative about election manipulation that should be treated with skepticism. Their long history of electoral deception in Guyana cannot be overlooked. From 1968 to 1992, the PNCR rigged elections, and it was only with the first free and fair elections in 1992 that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was rightfully voted into power. These decades of political manipulation by the PNCR are not forgotten.
In a recent statement, PNCR’s Mervyn Williams alleged that the PPP/C is planning to manipulate future elections. However, this is just another baseless claim in a long line of fabrications. The facts about the 2020 General and Regional Elections are clear. The PPP/C published their Statements of Poll (SoPs) from every polling station to prove their victory, but the PNCR, despite having access to the same SoPs, has failed to provide any evidence to support its claims of being “cheated.” This refusal raises a critical question: if the PNCR believes they won, why haven’t they shown the same transparency?
The 2020 election fiasco, which saw a five-month delay in announcing results, was not a one-off event but part of a continued pattern of misconduct by the PNCR. In Region 4, officials with ties to the party attempted to manipulate the vote count in favor of the APNU+AFC Coalition. The certified recount exposed the fraudulent activities of Region 4 Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, who falsely inflated APNU+AFC’s votes by thousands while reducing the PPP/C’s vote tally.
The 2023 Presidential Commission of Inquiry laid bare the extent of this fraud. It confirmed that senior officials at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) colluded with the PNCR to tamper with the results. High-ranking GECOM officials, including Keith Lowenfield and Roxanne Myers, were implicated in this brazen attempt to steal the election. Their actions underscore the PNCR’s consistent disregard for democratic principles.
Despite their claims of being “cheated,” the PNCR has never produced the SoPs to back up their narrative. Their unwillingness to provide transparency only deepens the suspicion that these accusations are a cover for their own electoral malfeasance.
For decades, the PNCR has rigged elections and undermined democracy in Guyana. Today, as they attempt to rewrite history and accuse others of the same tactics they once employed, it is crucial to view their claims with the skepticism they deserve. The PNCR’s record speaks for itself, and it is clear that their accusations are a smokescreen to distract from their own history of manipulation.

Sincerely,
Alvin Hamilton